Likewise he had seen trouble with investigating committees, being convicted of bad beef.

This may or may not have had to do with the younger Fopling's aversion to the press.
"Certainly," coincided Bess, again assuming the maternal, "the newspapers are exceedingly inflammatory." "Your friend Bess," said Richard to Dorothy, later, "is a bit of a blue-stocking, isn't she ?--one of those girls who give themselves to the dangerous practice of thinking ?" "I love her from my heart!" returned Dorothy, with a splendid irrelevance wholly feminine; "she is a girl of gold!" "Mr.Fopling: he's of gold, too, I take it." "Mr.Fopling is very wealthy." "Well, I'm glad he's something," observed Richard.
"You hate him because he spoke ill of newspapers," said Dorothy teasingly.
"Naturally, when a giant hand is stretched forth against the tree by which one lives, one's alarm runs away into hate," laughed Richard.
Richard, now that the _Daily Tory_ letters were winning praise, that is to say, were being greatly applauded and condemned, began to have in them a mightier pride than ever.

Educated those years abroad, he felt the want of an American knowledge, and started in to study government at pointblank range.

Nights he read history, mostly political, and days he went about like a Diogenes without the lamp.

He put himself in the way of Cabinet men; and talked with Senators and Representatives concerning congressional movements of the day.
Being quick, he made discoveries; some of them personal to himself.